Grain-screen



Patented Sept. '29, 1885.

S. H. BILLS.

GRAIN SGREEN.

(No ModeL) J 0 N m 0 000000 000 00m 0000@0000@0 0m0 m 00 00000000000 0000000000 00000 00000000000 @0000@0000@0000@0000 00000000000 0000000000000000 00000000000 00mo00 0m0o00@0000@00 00000000000 000 0000000000000 0009 000000 @0000@0000m000w m0000 000000 00000 00- 000-000 00-000 0 00000000000 0mwm0 00m m0000@0000@00 00000000000 0000000000000000 00000000000 00000000m0000@0000 00000000000 0000000000000000 00000000000 00m0000@0000@0000@00 00000000000 0000000000000000 00000000000 m00000000@00o0@0000 0 m 0 0 Q 3 .00

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

SETH H. BILLS, OF MOUNT MORRIS, llEWV YORK.

GRAIN-SCREEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,061, dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed June 19, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SETH H. BILLS, of Mount Morris, in thecounty of Livingston and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grain-Soreens; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a grain-screen, showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-seetion of the same in line a: a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line y y of Fig. 2. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views in section.

My improvement relates to screens for separating and sizing beans, peas, &c. also for separating grain and removing cockle from wheat, and is ofthat kind where two metallic plates are placed faceto face being provided with holes that come in the same longitudinal line, so that when one screen is moved longitudinally the holes will be enlarged or contracted to grade the separation of the grain.

The invention consists in the special construction and arrangement of the parts of the screen,whereby it can be enlarged or contract ed to fit different widths of shoes without disturbing the metallic plates, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, A shows the frame of the screen,whic11 is of square or rectangular form, and is made of four strips of wood securely fastened together.

B B are the'two metallic plates which form the screen proper. Thelower plate is tacked or otherwise rigidly fastened to the frame at the edges, and forms a fixture to the same. The upper plate is movable longitudinally by a screw and nut, a, or by other suitable means. Each plate is provided with a series of holes, I) b, which lie in the same line longitudinally, so that the grain passing down over the upper screen will be separated by a portion passing through the holes. By moving the upper screen in one direction or the other the holes will be correspondingly enlarged or contracted, thereby grading the separation of the grain.

My improvement is as follows; The screen is designed to be used in the shoe of a grainseparator, and in different machines there is a great difference in the widths of the shoes No model.)

which the screen must fill. To provide for this, the screen is provided at its sides with cleats c c on top of the screen, the cleats having slots at (Z, through which pass set-screws f f, by which means the cleats can be set out at any time to fill the space between the body of the screen and the sides of the shoe. The inner edges of the cleats are beveled off to throw the grain inward and rest over the edges of the plates, the upper one of which has free movement. By this means the screen is adapted to any width ofshoe without disturbing theplates at all.

g g' are arms forming bearings, attached on the under side of thescreen at the upper end and projecting out so as to rest in the grooves formed in the sides of the shoe, and thus sustain the screen at the upper end. These arms are provided with slots h 72, through which pass set-screws k k, by which means the arms can also be adjusted out or in to fit different widths of shoe in the same way that the cleats can.

mm are springs at the lower end of thescrecn on the under side, having right-angled ends at n, which project out and either strike into the grooves in the sides of the shoe or against the walls of the shoe, thereby sustaining the lower end of the screen. The main length of each spring is of considerable extent, so that the right-angled end will throw out to sutficient extent to meet different widths of shoes without any adjustment, such as the upper bearings have. By the use of these springs they can be fitted into the same grooves in which the upper bearings, g 9, rest; or they can be set higher or lower, bearing against the sides of the shoe, thus giving a differentpitch to the screen, which is very necessary in use.

G G are longitudinal bars, attached to the frame on the under side, and extending longitudinally close to the under plate. Theyserve as supports to the plates to keep them from sagging. They are beveled down to a thin edge next the plate, and at the points where the holes come half-circular sockets p p are cut out, which allows free passage of the grain downward through the screen. By this means the plates are always kept in aperfectly level position, so that the grain will flow down over the surface evenly and uniformly.

r r are a series of slots made in the upper plate, extending longitudinally, and s s are screws or studs passing through the slots and entering the lower plate. By this means the two plates are kept in close contact over their whole extent, and at the same time the upper plate is allowed its free longitudinal movement, as before described. The object of this arrangement is to prevent the passage of the grains downward between the plates, thereby separating them, as would be the case if they were not stayed together, as described.

I am aware that screens have before been known in which the frame is expansible to fit different widths of the shoe; but in such case the frame itself is expansible, and has to be constructed with loose sides, which can be moved out and then clamped in place again. A stiff frame cannot be used, as in my case.

' In such case, also. the slots in the plates have to be made elongated, and cannot be made round or square, as in my screen. The upper plat e, also, to compensate for the adjustment, must have st ips at the edges, provided with slots through which pass setscrews to set the upper plate to a new adjustment, all of which is complicated, and requires anicety of adjustment that renders the screen difficult to use.

It is the object of my invention to make the framestiif and rigid, and to attach the perforated plates thereto in such a man ner that when once applied they require no change, and to make attachments to the rigid frame, by which the upper one movable longitudinally, the

cleats 00 at the sides adjustablelaterally to fit different widths of shoes, the adjustable bearings g g at the top, and the springs in m at tle' bottom, the longitudinal stays G G on the under side of the screen, and the slots 1' r and screws 8 s for retaining the plates in contact, the whole arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signcd my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SETH H. BILLS.

Witnesses:

L. O. BINGI-IAM, O. W'. BINGHAM. 

